by Reilly Jaworski | Jan 25, 2021 | Archive
A crippling condition, an inescapable void, an impossible situation. What a mess boredom can be. If you let it. I know that when you’re incredibly occupied most of the time with a perpetual conveyor belt of school assignments or unrelated tasks it might actually be stressful when it seems the belt of activity has ceased moving. The concept of free time is so sought after that when you get it, it’s almost as if you caught hold of a mythical creature and you have absolutely no idea what to do with it. Once caught, the formerly desired free time is too often dubbed as boredom and boredom is not a word that is customarily associated with fond musings. That being acknowledged, I challenge you to think differently. Please stop finding boredom so boring. I can help you change your mind.
I’m about to send you into an existential crisis (don’t worry) with a simple truth: The essence of boredom is possibility. Read that again. Once you’ve got a good hold on that thought, I want you to think about how it applies to you. Are there things you want to do in your life? Especially things that you never do because you claim you “never have time for”? They can be super small. Really tiny. Frivolous, even. Basically, I’m telling you to get a hobby. Let’s have an example: Over the summer, after I’d finished all of my summer homework, I was struck by this strange state of affairs in which I had nothing to do. Much to my dismay, doing nothing was quite tiresome. So, I bought a ukulele. I’m no Hendrix and I can barely manage to switch between notes (I can, however, do a very low grade version of Twist and Shout by the Beatles). The thing is though, perfection is not a necessary factor in a hobby. Not very good at painting but you still like to mix the colors and see what results? Pick up a brush and do it. Right now! Well, do it when you’re done reading this. Do you have any desire to start knitting? It’s not such a ridiculous thought. Knit yourself a nice hat to keep warm. Make one for me, too, while you’re at it. I’ll wear it proudly. The world is your oyster, my friend and I’m fully convinced that you can do whatever you please. If you don’t think boredom is freeing by now, I’m a tad concerned you never will.
Now that you have all of these ideas running rampant in that eager brain of yours, let’s talk about how to keep them there. Please refrain from wasting your time allotted for boredom on your phone. Unless it’s going on Pinterest and searching for a chocolate chip cookie recipe, consider your phone off limits during your time of languor. It is incredibly easy to give into the temptation of technology, but if you do this, you must accept the repercussions: You won’t finish knitting your hat. A weighty consequence, I know. That being said, the punishment fits the crime. Allow yourself to do something not necessarily for the greater good of humanity, but for the greater good of you. Don’t inadvertently talk yourself out of your goal by letting yourself diverge from the process. Go headfirst into the fortunate abyss of boredom, and don’t let anything stop you.
Hopefully by now, you’re able to see a situation of dullness as a rather vibrant opportunity. I hope that you accept and revel in boredom when it’s presented to you and ultimately strive for the same unoccupied state in the future. Go do something you could never do before. Don’t let me stop you.
by Reilly Jaworski | Dec 7, 2020 | Advice, Archive
Whether you’re a virtual student trying to get in the swing of things, or an excluded student figuring out how these two weeks at home can be beneficial, you’re probably in pursuit of a little guidance. Enter: Me, a virtual student who feels rather strongly about the positive attributes associated with this unprecedented form of learning.
Starting out not thrilled with the concept of online learning, picking out its benefits was an unavoidable task, as there’s quite the lineup of pros that seem to outweigh the more talked of cons. Firstly, let’s talk comfort, the overwhelming beauty that goes along with at home learning. Wear those flannel pajamas your grandparents gave you, wake up with just enough time to eat a bowl of cereal before class (if you’re part of the fortunate minority that has the luxury of leaving their camera off during first hour, eat your Cap’n’ Crunch while learning quadratics). Lean into it. You can’t do this at school. While we’re on the subject of food, it’s important to note that lunch will be served from your personal kitchen. Ah, the kitchen. It’s not as cold as the school cafeteria and you can eat whatever you can get your paws on. Go ahead and heat up that pizza you had for dinner last night, not a single soul is deterring you from a warm piece of pie. Can’t you taste the freedom?
On the subject of socialization, I’ll argue passionately that it’s not stifled in virtual school; it’s simply different. Being a relatively introverted person, virtual school was a surprisingly pressuring platform that all but forced me to interact with people whom I’ve always known but never conversed with. Consequently, I will boldly proclaim that I’ve made more new friends in the midst of online learning than I would have otherwise made in person. When you see someone everyday in the halls or sit next to them during independent work in class, there’s no real incentive to reach out to them. You know they are there, but that’s all they are: There. Their faint presence is almost noticeable to you, but not enough to keep you from overlooking them. This is a truth that’s hard to admit, but that I theorize most students can attest to. However, building relationships online is practically inevitable as that’s how most class participation is recorded. For anyone who says that virtual learning kills the prospect of forming relationships between students and other students or students and their teachers, I would just like to politely counter: You’re wrong.
One of the most intellectually significant positives of virtual learning is simply that it saves so much time that would otherwise be wasted scrolling through Snapchats, sending pictures of foreheads back and forth between you and the people you barely know. There’s no walking from class to class, no driving to and from school and no waiting for others to catch up in class after you’ve already finished your work. That last one is where most of the Snapchats are sent. In person, school is more of a collective effort where everyone is expected to cater to the needs of others. Not that this isn’t a noble act of consideration, but let’s face it, you have other things to do. Virtually, after finishing an assignment and making sure it’s up to snuff, you can get other things done, school related or otherwise. If you finish your work for Math, move on to English. If you have time between classes, make your bed or even relax and watch TV or listen to music. It’s up to you. Independence is one of the greatest gifts that being virtual will give you.
This isn’t the ideal situation we all had in our head. However, it has become our reality. It’s best not to run from it or wallow. What we should really do is embrace the gifts it’s given us, the biggest being pajama days in high school. I think that counts for something.
by Jill Wachter | Dec 4, 2020 | Advice
I had trouble motivating myself to write this article. Staying motivated or not procationating is a habit that a lot of students struggle with. There are many ways to help motivate and stay on track. I’ve compiled some ideas below.
- Have a schedule – and stick to it. It could be starting the day by making your bed, showering, brushing your teeth, and other daily tasks in order. After school, grab a snack and some water, watch an episode of a show, work on homework, go to practice, have dinner, and then pack your backpack for the next day. Have a consistent routine.
- Have a friend. If you struggle with completing homework, start a virtual study group with a friend or two. Having those people to work with/have on in the background when you’re doing assignments can help keep you accountable. Surround yourself with people who have good grades and study habits. They must have some successful system that’s working out.
- Separate your school work environment and relaxation environment. Although it’s convenient to grab your computer and lay in bed but it doesn’t set you up for success. Sit at a table, spread out your school books, and set your mind to school. It’s easier to complete quality work when you’re in the right mind set.
- Write down a list of tasks you have to complete. Write down when assignments are due, test dates, sport practices/games, a reminder to do laundry, or any event that should be done in a reasonable time frame. Start with the easy stuff to get going and make it easier for yourself to complete the harder stuff.
- Exercise regularly. It’s great for mental health and physically making you feel better.
- Take a break. Go for a walk after an hour of homework, get up and get a drink of water, or pet a dog. Studies show that after a long time the brain’s productiveness decreases.
- A little bit at a time and set yourself up for success. If there’s a big task at hand that isn’t due right away, work on little chunks of it at a time. It sucks having to do all of it at once so breaking it up into doable parts is very helpful.
- Reward yourself for hard work. Once you complete the English project get some Starbucks, after an hour of studying terms for psych take time to scroll through Snap stories or other rewards that are important for you.
- Practice. Trying to self-monitor and not procrastinating takes time and requires practice. You won’t magically just start studying for 2 hours every single day right after school on the first day. It’ll take time to get into a rhythm and sometimes you’ll miss your goal but that doesn’t mean you should quit. Work hard and know that failure is inevitable.
I hope these ideas have helped. If you are struggling with workloads, reach out to your teachers, parents, and peers. If you don’t believe in yourself, find someone who does because the encouragement and mindset can be all the difference in the world.
by Saber Slate | Nov 4, 2019 | Advice
High school can be hectic no matter what grade you are in. Usually, on my agenda, I have at least one summative every week and surprise formatives in different classes and sometimes I don’t even know what we are learning in class! And for some of us, it might be a little bit difficult to pay attention or participate in class considering it may be a little boring or not as interesting based on our point of view. In order to fix all of those problems that involve procrastination or losing interest in a class, here are my seven best tips in order to stay focused when doing homework or studying while in school!
This might be quite obvious but paying close attention in class really helps build your understanding and knowledge about what your teacher is teaching. When you daze off or daydream during a lesson, you might lose sight of important information! Fixing this, you’ve gotta keep your head in the game. Stay on track and stay focused! It might be hard sometimes considering how hard you are working but try understanding and pretend to be interested in what you are learning about because, in the end, it’ll be worth it. You’ll understand what your teacher taught you and you will be more confident in what you have learned about!
This one is a little tricky because we all don’t have pretty or appealing penmanship. But if you do, rewrite your notes! It’s satisfying, effective, and fun to do. Not only that, but you will be able to reread them and fully understand what you have learned and applied it to the test. Rewriting your notes will not only help you based on studying but you can use them for exams so it is ready to go for you already and you will have less work to do.
Reviewing is key to memory! The more you put the needed information in your brain, you will understand more of what you actually learned. So, highlighting notes and important key terms is major for studying because it repeats the information you need in order for your memory to be accurate in all cases. Reviewing is also effective because you are reteaching yourself the lessons or important terms to yourself in order to be even more precise with your studying.
- Make a steady work environment
In order for your studying habits to be set, you are going to need to have a working environment set first. Now, this may change, but if you know that where you stay is where you are going to be productive stay in that area! For instance, if you feel more productive at the library, go to the library and do your work! Or, if you feel more productive in the living room, stay in the living room! If you want to take it a step further, get your own desk, personalize what you need, and make a work area in your room or somewhere in your house in order to maintain a focused and productive mindset. This is helpful because once you’ve entered the trap of procrastination and comfortable position, you will feel way too comfortable and unmotivated to do your work.
- Ask questions and participate in the class!
Now this one relates to the very first tip but it is in terms actually involving yourself in class and engaging yourself with what is going on. You need to take some risks, and use your voice! Ask questions, be involved so that you know what you are doing and learning in class. But in all honesty, this one is a little bit hard for me too because I am very shy and I don’t really ask my teachers any questions when I am confused because I would feel a little bit embarrassed. But that’s okay! Cause the sooner we can get over that fear, the more successful we will become.
Now, you’re probably thinking, “Come on KB, no one likes to read.” But you only have that mindset because you haven’t forced yourself to like books! It’s fun to dive deep into a book and exercise your brain because you are training your brain to be even more useful and studious so that you remember important concepts and details as well as to stay more focused. My best tip to enjoy reading is to read to your interests. Once that is covered, try reading a few minutes a day or every other day in order for your brain to get a little stretch. But in the end, you will be satisfied knowing how much you’ve read and how much faster the brain wants to work.
- Sacrifice some time to study and review
The harder you work, the better you will be. You want to be successful right? So, a big step in order to do is to make time for what you need to do! A lot of people fall short of being productive because they can’t find the right balance between work time and their own personal time for themselves. This is a problem because then they either lose themselves and become unmotivated to do anything or either find themselves having way more to do than normal. In order to fix this problem, you’ve gotta take some risks! Find time to do your work and on time too! Don’t slack and give your best effort! You got it.
There are many many more tips on how to be productive and stay focused in school but honestly speaking these are some of the best tips that have worked for me personally. All in all, school can be tough but you’ve gotta own up to it and work hard! When you do that, you will inspire people to work hard as well.
by Saber Slate | Nov 1, 2019 | Advice, Opinion & Reviews
Attention Saber Slate readers! We still have an Advice Column, and we’re still accepting submissions for advice! Recently, we got a whopping 1 new question from who wants to be called “Basement Bois.” Basement Bois asks:
“What looks good on guys during the winter? That isn’t the common sweats/vans/sweatshirt? I like to be in the basement a lot wearing steel toes and jeans, but how do i make that look Good? So I guess the real question is, How do basement kids look really good in the winter?”
Dear Basement Bois,
Flannels. The answer is always flannels. Flannels go with absolutely anything, no matter what kind of season. In the fall, pair flannels with jeans or khakis. During the wintertime, pair the flannel and jeans with some kind of hoodie or winter jacket (that doesn’t contain bright colors). In the springtime, just simply roll the sleeves of your flannel shirt back and opt for khaki shorts if it’s warm out. If it’s very hot out like in the summer, there are good short sleeve and thinner flannel shirts out there that are very nice. And during all seasons, wear cowboy boots. Cowboy boots go absolutely with anything, no matter what you wear. On a more serious note, just take it easy with what you wear. As long as you don’t try too hard to look good, you probably already look fine with a hoodie and jeans.
Thank you to Basement Bois for your submission! Remember to fill out Advice Column submissions at tinyurl.com/fhsadvice. Be sure to email fhsnewspaper62@gmail.com if you have any questions. Your submission may be featured in a future article, so stay tuned!
